This site's focus is whiskey reviews, ratings, and the authentication and valuation of rare whiskeys, as well as covering the collecting hobby. So we don't cover the basics of whiskey manufacture here.

With that said, the answer to the most common question about whiskey is: All Scotch is whiskey. All bourbon is whiskey. But not all whiskey is Scotch, nor bourbon, and so forth. In general, whiskey/whisky is an alcoholic beverage distilled from grain and aged in oak casks. For answers to basic whisky questions and questions about our Society, see our Frequently Asked Questions. We also have a FAQ on old whiskey bottles, their value, and sale.

When this website is not referring to a specific product, you’ll see “whisky” spelled both ways at random, and sometimes listed as “whisky/whiskey.” This often depends on the whim of whomever wrote the selection you’re reading. For the record, the word is generally spelled “whisky” everywhere in the world except for the USA and Ireland, where the “e” is typically but not always inserted, and no matter where you are they should be interchangeable.